Psychrophilic pseudomonads from Antarctica: Pseudomonas antarctica sp. nov., Pseudomonas meridiana sp. nov. and Pseudomonas proteolytica sp. nov.

Thirty-one bacteria that belonged to the genus Pseudomonas were isolated from cyanobacterial mat samples that were collected from various water bodies in Antarctica. All 31 isolates were psychrophilic; they could be divided into three groups, based on their protein profiles. Representative strains of each of the three groups, namely CMS 35(T), CMS 38(T) and CMS 64(T), were studied in detail. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, it was established that the strains were related closely to the Pseudomonas fluorescens group. Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics further confirmed their affiliation to this group. The three strains could also be differentiated from each other and the closely related species Pseudomonas orientalis, Pseudomonas brenneri and Pseudomonas migulae, based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and the level of DNA-DNA hybridization. Therefore, it is proposed that strains CMS 35(T) (=MTCC 4992(T)=DSM 15318(T)), CMS 38(T) (=MTCC 4993(T)=DSM 15319(T)) and CMS 64(T) (=MTCC 4994(T)=DSM 15321(T)) should be assigned to novel species of the genus Pseudomonas as Pseudomonas antarctica sp. nov., Pseudomonas meridiana sp. nov. and Pseudomonas proteolytica sp. nov., respectively.